1. Field of Invention This invention relates to latch having magnets for use in securing one or more closure panels of a compartment in the closed position.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In many applications the need arises to secure a panel in a closed position relative to a compartment opening or another panel. For example, in the automotive industry the panels acting as closures for the interior compartments of the vehicle must be secured in the closed position when the compartment is not being accessed. Examples of such compartments include the vehicle's glove compartment and the center console compartment between a vehicle's front seats. The closure members for such compartments are selectively secured in the closed position by latches in order to secure the contents of the compartments while allowing a user to selectively open the closure members to access the contents of the compartments. Many latches for this purpose have been proposed in the art. Examples of such latches can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,927,772 and 6,761,278. However, none of the known latches are seen to teach or suggest the novel and unique latch of the present invention.